DIY Water Farm

[AlexChupetinho]

Hello,

I'd just like to present my DIY water farm.

Some weeks ago I saw in superstore two pots which could fit to my plan of building myself a water farm.
I decided to buy them and try it. The smaller pot fits into the bigger one an has holes at the bottom.
The bigger one has no holes, so the pots work together very well.
Inbetween I have placed a coaster so that the smaller pot don't get too deep into the exterior pot.

All I needed except the pots was fitting and pump.
I didn't want to use an external air pump because it makes a continuous, silly noise.

I took a water pump and placed it inside the bigger pot, immersed in the nutrient solution.
The noise of it is almost unhearable.

costs:
big pot          7,99 Eur
small pot       3,99 Eur
coaster         2,99 Eur
pump           10,99 Eur
fitting            1,50 Eur
Total:     about 28 Eur

...and here it goes:

The pots:


The fitting:



I must say that the fitting is not very elegant but I had it at hand and didn't look for another one.

Now, I cut a square hole for the smaller pot in the coaster:


good!


In fact, everything is simple:


Boring half hole for the electric cable:


OK!


The final product before setting it into production: 
It looks pretty good, no one would say it's DIY
(or he probably would, when he sees the fitting!)


For the drip ring I took an air difuser tube (for aquarium)
This wasn't a good idea, because it didn't permit water to pass through the small holes.
This holes are only good for air.


bad!


...so I made another drip ring:


I conected the pump with the vertical hose, wich passes through tho bottom of the smaller pot.
I forgot to take a picture of this step.
After that I placed the plant and covered the roots with expanded clay granules (8 mm).
The drip ring works great!


And the final image:

The plant is a brasilian starfish. It normally reaches more than 2m.
Its pods are very tasty (fruity taste) and could be classified as hot. They also look very nice.
I love this chile!

Here some pods of this plant from last summer. It was grown in soil.

Now I want to see the results of
growing in water farm.

                                                                -- THE END --


05. of January 2009
    complement

Since I've found the pots only by Elho,
here the exact labels:
(everything bought in BAUHAUS (home & gardening superstore in Germany))
Exterior pot:


Interior pot:


Coaster (saucer):


Everything also in grey:

[Sterno]

Wow, looks just awesome!

I hate so see this kind of pics ... I'm just a soil guy... 

Greetings,
Sterno

[AlexChupetinho]

Hi Sterno,

thanks for reply!

I must smile... well, I could have remained a soil guy too,
but in soil my plants just don't get as big as I want them to be!
Perhaps I'm doing something wrong.

Hydroponics on the other hand, offers totally new horisons, so I've decided to try it. The results until now
are very encouraging. I intend to post here my DIY aeroponic set. Please don't hate it very much! 

regards
--
am

[Sterno]

Can't wait to see your updates!

I'm seriously thinking of going hydroponic here too, so ... see ya later

Sterno

[tadytomas]

Hi, very nice setup..  just have a question.. how often did you drip the plant?   thanks

[AlexChupetinho]

continuously! 
Day and night.

I think this continuous circulation is good for the oxigenation of nutrient solution.

--

[tadytomas]

Do you really think, that this is nessesary? Have experience with ebb and expanded clay hold moisture for a long time... so I thought that maybe few cycles a day should be enough..

[AlexChupetinho]

No, I don't think it's necessary. In fact, this water farm ist something new for me.
That's why I'm posting here: to get some tips and tricks from guys who already experienced this kind of growing 
 
So, what would you suggest? How many cycles should take place per day? How long shold be a cycle and how long should the pump be pumping?

(but remember: this water farm is not being flooded, the nutrient solution is being dripped by the ring and flows immediately back in the bigger pot (let's call it tank))

--

[Kilp]

Thats one good looking water farm you have there, and the price for such decorative solution eint bad at all either.

How much water can you fit in that system?

[tadytomas]

Well, in ebb I had 3 or 4 cycles a day, 15min each. I have to change my ebb system into something else next season and this waterfarm sounds good for me. But if the pump has to go all day long I guess, I would not go for it.
But I really think, that that is not nessesary. Of course.. set up the system for more cycles 5 or 6 maybe more and maybe, just maybe give a small air pump into reservoir with solution and buble it a little just before the cycle begin.

But maybe everything I wrote is wrong. But hope not    I think that here has to be someone who tried this kind of hydroponics.. maybe Fatalli can bring some light into this..

[tadytomas]

that is instruction for operating waterfarm wrom official site of General Hydroponics...

"OPERATION
For moisture-loving plants, operate your WaterFarm pump continuously. Plants
preferring drier conditions grow best when the pump runs for 1/2 hour on and 1
hour off during daylight hours; off at night (a simple timer will turn the pump on
and off for you automatically). Use mild to normal strength nutrient solution and
avoid strong or aggressive nutrient. As your plants consume nutrient solution, the
level in the reservoir will drop. Top off with half strength solution or plain water
(the pump is more efficient when the reservoir is full). It is necessary to change the
water and nutrients every one to two weeks depending upon the size of your plants
and their rate of growth; with bigger plants change more often. Simply empty the
reservoir by rotating the blue drain level tube 90 degrees so water drains on the
ground, or indoors in a pail. When changing or topping off solution, pour directly
over the Clay Pebbles (rather than into the reservoir itself) to flush out excess salts"

[AlexChupetinho]

Kilp wrote: How much water can you fit in that system?

with about 4 liter water the water level will reach the bottom of the interior pot.

--

[AlexChupetinho]

Well, in ebb I had 3 or 4 cycles a day, 15min each. I have to change my ebb system into something else next season and this waterfarm sounds good for me. But if the pump has to go all day long I guess, I would not go for it.
But I really think, that that is not nessesary. Of course.. set up the system for more cycles 5 or 6 maybe more and maybe, just maybe give a small air pump into reservoir with solution and buble it a little just before the cycle begin.

But maybe everything I wrote is wrong. But hope not    I think that here has to be someone who tried this kind of hydroponics.. maybe Fatalli can bring some light into this..

hi tadytomas,

I set a timer in a cycle of 1/2 hours pumping then 1 hour break, between 8am and 8pm.
It works like that for two days an the plant is still allright.

--

[Fatalii]

Very nice looks!

I have been running waterfarm with same timer as my ebbs, works very nicely with most varieties!

For tabasco (c. frutescens) etc. I'd run it nearly all the time as they like more moisture.

Running them only few mins few times a day make the systems more silent too so it would be my option when growing indoors.

[olppa]

looks nice, where did u get those pots?

[AlexChupetinho]

looks nice, where did u get those pots?

Please have a look at my first posting. I've completed my instructions with the labels of the pots (just under the other pics).

--

[tadytomas]

I would suggest not to use clay as much.  (deep)
With ebb, only 10cm or so has been enough for all of the chile varieties I've tried with it so far.
That will save a lot of clay and also nutrient as you don't have to raise it so high.

and how about other systems? like waterfarm?

thanks

[AlexChupetinho]

What I've read for the original water farm is that the interior pot is full of clay.
In my case it means is a lot af clay (about 4-5 liter) but i only have one water farm.
I don't htink is wrong but it's perhaps not optimal.
--

[tadytomas]

last year I had my ebb cca 25cm deep, now I know that it was just waisting with water and fert. This year I will grow my plants in homemade water farm. I thought that I will use the same "pot" like last year. It was 80x50x30cm and aproximatelly 60l of expanded clay in it.

[AlexChupetinho]

hi tadytomas,

Wow, 60l clay is not water farm, it's a real ebb&flood system!

I've learned that what they call water farm is a double pot watered by an air pump and a drip ring.

Here a 12,5 liter water farm:


The same also as 45l water farm (they call it "aqua farm"). For example here:
http://www.agri-culture.eu/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/181?osCsid=g79h07miifghlea0o59ho9qb80

But this things are for single plants, as I understand.

I plan to build an ebb&flood system too next summer on my balcony, using some long window boxes (or balcony boxes).
In such a system the plants grow faster and bigger. I was impressed by the pictures I've seen here (for instance from bluesman and fatalii) how effective an
ebb&flood system can be.

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